The Gospel According to Paul: The Creative Genius Who Brought Jesus to the World

by Robin Griffith-Jones

Book Overview

In The Gospel According to Paul, Robin Griffith-Jones shows how, like the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, Paul's writings are meant primarily to confront the reader with the compelling... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 006009656X
• ISBN13: 9780060096564
• Release Date: March 2004
• Publisher: HarperOne
• Length: 528 Pages
• Weight: 1.90 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.6" x 6.3" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

Excellent Second Interpretation. Read the Epistles First.

`The Gospel According to Paul' by Oxford (Lincoln College) don, Robin Griffith-Jones is a deep, rigorous, and thoughtful examination of Paul's principal Epistles and a description of the personal and theological environment in which they were written. The title contains an `illuminating error' in that while none of Paul's writings have ever been grouped together with the four canonical gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John), it signifies that Paul's writings are at least as important, and possibly even more important to both the early development of the Church and to later Theology. Paul's theology is especially important to a host of important figures. Some of the most significant of these are Augustine, Luther, Calvin, and Jonathan Edwards. Luther's most important theological lectures before his 95 Theses were on Paul's epistle to the Romans. In a nutshell, Paul is probably the most important figure in Christianity next to Jesus. In the beginning of the book, the author makes some suggestions that this book was written for the lay reader and is possibly easier to read than commentaries written for Theology students and pastors. I wish to suggest here that the book may be really slow going for the reader unfamiliar with the underlying texts (I am inclined to agree with Luther in his commentary on `Romans' that one is almost compelled to memorize the text of this Epistle if you really expect to fully understand Christian doctrine.) The first practice which makes the reading slow going is the fact that biblical scholar Griffith-Jones insists on using unfamiliar translations for some really central terms, such as `Old Order' for `Old Testament', `New Order' for `New Testament', `breath' for spirit, and `assembly' for `congregation'. Simply making the mental translation is often not enough, as some passages simply sound foreign to our ears when the `breath' for `spirit' substitution is laid on. However, Griffith-Jones' fastidious translation often bears fruit. For example, in an extremely important passage from Romans 1:17, the author translates Paul's quote from Habakkuk 2:4 to be "Those who are just from faith will live". When one looks at the same translation in the `official' (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America) NRSV translation, the meaning almost comes across backwards: "The one who is righteous will live in faith". (Oddly enough, the NRSV does not translate the passage the same way in Habakkuk and in Romans, but then, Paul may have misquoted!). While this book may be small compared to the commentaries on Paul's Epistles by several writers, it is valuable to those of us who wish to interpret the scriptures in that it makes a point of viewing the texts from a bit of a greater distance than writers such as Luther and the authors of, for example, `The Interpreter's Bible'. The single most important `meta-observation' Griffith-Jones makes is that Paul's letters are best read as a whole (see again, Luther's comment, above). Each Epistle is

Tells the truth on the Bible's stand against homosexuality

The author Jones points out how the book of Romans completely knocks as sinful homosexual practices in both men and women. A winner of a book!

Read the words

Robin Griffith-Jones could have used fireworks, pictures or 101 other tricks to demonstrate Paul's creativity. But instead he does it with words. His textual analysis, especially in the second half of the book, proves that Paul was not just brilliant but also engaging. It is the analysis that stands out in a book of many other qualities. Paul's creativity emerges through Robin's close study of what Paul actually said, of the words he used to confront his audience. Conveyed sympathetically, Robin gives a highly convincing account of the creative genius.

Two Thumbs Way Up!

Finding a book that fills in the gaps in your understanding of the Bible is a rare and valuable find. This book is one of those rare finds. Written by a past professor of New Testament at Oxford, Griffith-Jones gives the reader valuable contextual information on Paul's theology that most of us Americans have never read. And as my college professor once said; context is everything. Griffith-Jones begins by studying the main source for Paul's change in his theological belief. Remember, Paul was once a "Pharisee of the Pharisees" and "persecutor of the Church". But then he changed and what was the means to this change? Not just a bright light in the noon-day sky. This bright light transported him into Heaven itself. Now Paul has become a seer in the tradition of Isaiah and his beliefs change because he has seen truth beyond description. This truth can not be argue against. It can only change the mortals that see it. And it is this `vision' that Paul has to grapple with throughout his life. How can he tell of things that can't be spoken of? How can he convince those who know so little of Heaven what he has seen in words that are too small to convey the "reality" he has experienced? But Paul's "good news" is more then a vision. It is about a Jesus who is more than a man. A Jesus he has seen in Heaven. A Jesus that is not merely the lamb that was slaughtered for our sins; a sacrifice fitting for our salvation. This Jesus has now become the New Temple; the Holy of Holies that is the bridge between God and us. For a Jew this is just too revolutionary to make sense of and Paul must make it believable to his Jewish audiences because he is sent to God's chosen people; first. But what about Romans; Paul's book of theology? Does Griffith-Jones speak on this? He indeed does but he brings out a theme that is something I had never thought about, yet is so simple it makes perfect sense. Paul brings two factions together by showing them they both have missed the point. It is not those who flaunt the Law or those who observe the Law that are "right". Both groups miss the point entirely because those who have died are dead to sin and those who have died are not helped by the Law any longer. Those who have died with Christ in baptism are dead to this world but alive to Christ. They are new creatures. All is nothing when compared to the act of baptism that both have undergone. Now how many times have you thought of Romans as centering around baptism? But Griffith-Jones is right. It does. But this book is far more. It goes through each of Paul's letters and shows the context that each was written in and discusses the objectives Paul was trying to accomplish in each. We discover a political struggle between the established centers of Christianity in Antioch and Jerusalem and Paul who separates himself from them. There is the hint that Christianity was never intended to become a new religion but only a renewing of Judaism. But there is Paul who is a personality stro

difficult to read but brilliant

I only will give 4 stars because I have barely begun the difficult task of reading this book. To try to uderstand Mr. Griffith-Jones in one reading is as difficult as trying to understand even just one of St. Paul's letters. The author's intentions, just as St. Paul's, may be to effect a transformation in those who read and meditate on his words. This is not a book for amateurs. Do not buy it if this is your first approach to uderstand the life and religion of St. Paul. Like the critics above said, his sentences and thoughts are quite convoluted and at time confusing. Nonetheless there is wisdom in his words and a great insight I haven't seen before in any of my readings of St. Paul. This book will become an important addition to those interested to pursue the truth to the end.If you want to read a thorough biography on St. Paul, I recommend "The Life and Epistles of St. PAul" by Conybeare and Howson. But if you can find it in an used-books store my favorite of all times is "The life, letters, and religion of St. Paul" by CT Woods,published by T & T Clark, 1925.